The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1887-03-26
WOMAN.S WAGES.
Why Remuneration for Her Work. No
Matter How Well Performed, Is Low.

Matter How Well Performed, Is Low.
Doubtless puissant reason for the
low wages of women is the oversupply
of women. In the good providence Of
God there is no oversupply; but an ap.
parent oversupply is made to appear in
the calculations of the economists, who,
without inquiring why it is so, are ready
with their statistics to show that the
cleaners in the field of labor are always
in excess of the gleanings Within the
last twenty years women have pushed
themselves by dint of undertaking and
proved steadiness into many occupa-
tons heretofore monopolized by men.
The progress of invention has aided this
tendency by creating new occupations.
The business of telegraphy, telephony,
typewriting, kindergarten teaching,
and all the wonderful mechanical con-
trivances for knitting, weaving, sew
ing. spinning and kindred industries
have created a demand for labor pre-
cisely suited to the quick and nimble
fingers of womankind.
But the very low wages earned in
nearly all the callings, new and old.
where the labor of women has to some
extent supplanted the labor of men
furnish proof that the area of employ
ment should be further widened. The
very fact that it is possible for women
to support themselves without resort
ing to matrimony as matter of bust
ness calculation, has no doubt added to
the proportionate number of the I'M
married. In so far as this has been
the case it has served to retard any i'm
provement in the rate of wages by in
creasing the number of employees in
probable excess of increased employ
ment. Unlike men, women can not
undertake the care of a household and
go on with other form of labor. When
a woman marries there is an end of
bookkeeping, telegraphy or shorthand
writing. She steps into more natural
and more important but less indepen-
dent occupation, and makes room for
another woman. But the fewer mar
riages there are the less room there is.
II 10 u duColIOil lOI SLctUGSIllttl w llttlltE
policies that encourage factories and
discourage farmers are better or worse
for the mass of the population. am
inclined to think that farms should be
preferred before factories. Farmers
can not get along without wives. The
workers in factories, both men and
women, may live minated. Many of
them can never afford to live in any
other way, and so antagonize one an
other in the battle of life. This is
dreadful. 1t makes one almost sympa-
thize with the wish of Thomas Jeffer-
son, that a sea of fire had been inter-
posed between this country and the
manufacturing nations.
The United States, though the great
est of agricultural nations, is rapidly
becoming great as manufacturing
country. We have many factories and
are constantly getting more. The pres
sure, however, for factory employment
becomes more intense year by year.
One means of relieving this pressure
should be insisted upon: Child labor
should be dispensed with. The laws in
tended to prevent it should be so amend
ed as to provide adequate means for
enforcement. just as the prevention
of imported labor from other countries
under contracts based upon wage sys-
tens not suited to this free country
would improve the condition of men
who work in mines or build railroads,
or engage in other forms of unskilled
labor. so the abolition of child labor
would be followed by a widening of the
field for the labor of women. Employ
| ers should not be allowed to force down
the wages of the grown mother or sister
by putting against her in the struggle
| for existence the poor children who
ought to be in school, and who are
physically dwarfed and mentally be-
numbed by the drudgery imposed upon
them.
Women who are workers in the
grand army Of industry are profoundly
interested in every possible movement
which tends either to narrow or to en-
large the number Of hands to do or the
| amount of work to be done. Whatever
crowds the occupations in which men
exclusively engage reacts upon the oc--
| equations in which men compete with
women. If boys can not get to be ma
chinists, or farmers, or engineers,
large number of them will be clerks,
statesmen, telegraphers and type-writ-
ers.
AS beginning, in making room for,
more women there is no more promis7
ing field than the one indicated. Their
ought to be no cessation in the effort Z
keep infants out of the factories.
no place were thereby made for q
out of work who are old enoug'
work, still the human side of the
ter ought to engage the mind of
thinking man and the heart of IL
| good woman. Philadelphia Rec
Unexpected Answers.
|